LATIN AMERICA WORKING GROUP Action at Home for Just Policies Abroad

ANNUAL REPORT 2005

When I think of an image of what we do here at the Latin America Working Group, it’s opening doors. Opening doors for Latin American advocates for peace and justice, and Latin American victims of human rights abuses, to

tell our State Department and Congress how US policies affect their lives. Opening doors for our sixty coalition partners by providing training and advice so that

they can get their message of justice across more effectively.Opening doors for you, individual citizens around the country, so that you can tell

your members of Congress the changes you would like to see in US policy towards Latin America—and our foreign policy towards the world.

Because Latin American victims and activists have the right to tell our policymakers how the United States can help and harm their lives.

Because you have the right to demand a foreign policy that reflects our shared values of generosity, truth and justice.

It’s not the easiest of jobs at the best of times. But we’ll keep right on opening doors.Walk on through.

Lisa Haugaard Executive Director

Who We AreThe Latin America Working Group serves a coalition of nongovernmental, religious, grassroots and humanitarian agencies. We bring coalition partners together to create advocacy and public education campaigns to encourage US policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean that favors human rights, justice, peace and sustainable development.

The Latin America Working Group (LAWG), a 501(c) 4 nonprofit, carries out advocacy and grassroots education. The Latin America Working Group Education Fund (LAWGEF), a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, sponsors educational events and produces publications. In the list of this year’s activities, lobbying activities were carried out by the LAWG, and educational activities by the LAWGEF.

2005 ACCOMPLISHMENTSCuba: Freedom to TravelOrganized, with the Center for International Policy’s Freedom to Travel Campaign, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), and a dozen key national Cuban-American and grassroots groups, a massive Cuba Action Day in Washington, DC, to demonstrate

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS*Alliance of BaptistsAmerican Friends Service CommitteeCenter for Global EducationCenter for International PolicyChurch of the BrethrenChurch Women UnitedChurch World ServiceColombia Human Rights CommitteeConference of Major Superiors of MenCuban American Alliance Education FundDisarm Education FundLutheran Office for Governmental AffairsFellowship of ReconciliationFriends Committee on National LegislationGlobal RightsGuatemala Human Rights CommissionInstitute for Policy StudiesInternational Labor Rights FundJesuit Refugee ServiceLoretto CommunityLutheran World ReliefMaryknoll Office for Global ConcernsMennonite Central Committee

the breadth and depth of support for ending the ban on travel to Cuba. About 700 people attended, including new activists in states across the country; press coverage was wide; and participants delivered our message to over 100 congressional offices on Capitol Hill.

❚ Coordinated an ecumenical prayer breakfast for more than 150 participants of Cuba Action Day—an inspirational and rousing start to a day of action, media, and focus on a call for the freedom to travel to Cuba.

❚ Co-led national religious leaders’ delegation to Cuba with Witness for Peace and the Centro Memorial Martin Luther King, Jr. (Havana) to educate about U.S. policy toward Cuba and to publicize the denial of travel licenses for religious and faith-based organizations.

❚ Led, with Church World Service and WOLA, an on-going effort to challenge the Treasury Department’s denial of religious-exchange travel licenses to Cuba.

❚ Coordinated educational efforts with the Emergency Coalition to Defend Educational Travel (ECDET) about the prohibition of study abroad in Cuba, giving presentations for ECDET members, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),

Missionary Oblates of Mary ImmaculateNETWORK/A National Catholic Justice LobbyNISGUANorth American Congress on Latin AmericaOxfam AmericaPeace Brigades InternationalPresbyterian Church (USA)Quest for PeaceReligious Task Force on Central America/MexicoRFK Memorial Center for Human RightsSchool of the Americas WatchSister ParishUnitarian Universalist Service CommitteeUnited Church of ChristUnited Methodist Church, General Board of Church & SocietyUnited Methodist Church, Women’s DivisionUS Jesuit ConferenceUS/Labor Education in the Americas ProjectUS Office on ColombiaWashington Office on Latin AmericaWitness for Peace

*This list includes some of the groups participating. Participa-tion does not imply endorsement of all LAWG efforts. Deci-sions to endorse statements and campaigns are made on a case-by-case basis by each participating organization.

the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), Chabot College, Loyola University, and the University of Chicago.

❚ Served as resource to grassroots organizations around the nation, traveling to educational and organizing meetings in Maryland, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, and California.

Colombia: Insisting upon Human Rights❚ Organized pressure on the State Department, working with coalition members and

grassroots activists, over San José de Apartadó massacre and other human rights violations which resulted in part of US military aid to Colombia being suspended for seven months. This forced State Department to raise human rights cases at highest level with Colombian government and produced some—by no means adequate—steps forward in two cases of army abuse.

❚ Created a Blueprint for a New Colombia Policy with coalition partners and input from Colombian human rights networks. This positive proposal for a new US policy was featured in a briefing of the House International Relations staff, circulated to the

LAWG DIRECTOR AND REPRESENTATIVES OF COLOMBIAN VICTIMS’ ASSOCIATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS

State Department and AID, distributed to the Congress and editorial boards. Many humanitarian agencies, nongovernmental organizations and churches distributed it to their networks.

❚ Supported and provided information for a letter from Senators Feingold, Leahy and Dodd to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed by 22 senators on human rights issues in Colombia.

❚ Brought representatives of victims of paramilitary, army and guerrilla violence to speak at a Congressional Human Rights Caucus members’ briefing, the State Department, universities, and the United Nations. Arranged a training session on memory, justice, truth and reparations with the International Center for Transitional Justice. The visit was covered by Colombia’s main newspaper and TV and the Washington Post.

❚ Visited San José de Apartadó on delegation organized by Fellowship of Reconciliation and met with US and Colombian government officials about the case. Organized congressional briefing for journalist who received threats after covering this case and worked on congressional letter on threats against journalists.

MILLIRET MONCADA PEÑA OF ASFADDES (ASSOCIATION OF RELATIVES OF THE DISAPPEARED IN COLOMBIA) STANDS BEFORE A PHOTO OF HER FATHER.

❚ Spoke at national Partnering for Peace conference and organized consultation with grassroots organizers on Colombia programs.

Promoting Humane Borders & Justice in Mexico❚ Hosted numerous delegations from the US-Mexico border region to focus attention

on migrant deaths in the southwest deserts and the need for immigration reform. These delegations of community and church activists from US border areas held congressional briefings and met with more than 150 congressional offices. We briefed the activists and helped organize their visits.

❚ Released a major report, Scapegoats of Juarez, detailing the misuse of justice in prosecuting women’s murders in Juárez and Chihuahua, Mexico. The report brings to light cases of possible scapegoats in jail for crimes they did not commit, and provides a review of Mexican government statistics to give a clearer picture of the failure of the judicial system to resolve these crimes.

❚ Assisted the Witness Project in producing and promoting two videos. Dual Injustice focuses attention on the murder of Neyra Azucena Cervantes in Chihuahua, Mexico

and the subsequent scapegoating of her cousin David Meza. Rights on the Line tells the story of vigilante justice in Arizona from the perspective of communities that oppose their presence in the state.

❚ Created the Border Community Alliance for Human Rights with the Border Network for Human Rights (TX), the Border Action Network (AZ) and the American Friends Service Committee, San Diego Office (CA). The Alliance aims to coordinate the work of human rights organizations at the border, and represents the most significant east-to-west organizing to date. LAWG will be coordinating the Alliance’s policy work.

Documenting Military Training Programs in the Region & Other Issues❚ Provided the most systematic documentation publicly available on US military

training and programs in Latin America through our Just the Facts website, http://ciponline.org/facts , with Center for International Policy and Washington Office on Latin America. As this goes to press, we’re about to launch our new military trends

report; the 2004 report, Blurring the Lines, was named one of Project Censored’s top 25 most important under-covered news stories of the year.

❚ Organized the Latin America program for 120 activists from churches around the country as part of Ecumenical Advocacy Days.

❚ Helped coordinate grassroots and policy groups’ pressure on Congress to successfully oppose the lifting of the ban on military aid to Guatemala.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF WASHINGTON OFFICE ON LATIN AMERICA

DISPLACED PEACE COMMUNITY OF SAN JOSÉ DE APARTADÓ IN NEW COMMUNITY OF LA HOLANDITA, COLOMBIA

AcknowledgmentsThanks to the following foundations for their contributions to the LAWGEF’s public education work: the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Institute Development Foundation, the Christopher Reynolds Foundation, the Moriah Fund, the General Service Foundation, the Arca Foundation, the Connect US Fund, and the Stewart Mott Charitable Trust. Thanks to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Oxfam America, Catholic Relief Services, Church World Service, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and many other organizations that have contributed to the LAWG, as well as to the many generous individuals contributing to our efforts.

STAFF(left to right)

Sean Mariano GarciaMavis AndersonClaire RodriguezJennifer TrowbridgeLisa Haugaard

LAWGEF: Percent of 2004 Expenses Spent on Programs, Management and Fundraising

FinancesLAWGEF’s income of $368,473 for 2004 came primarily from foundations as well as from individual donors. LAWG’s income of $72,463 for 2004 came primarily from contributions by coalition members, other nongovernmental and religious organizations, and individual donors. Audited financial statements available upon request.

Programs

Management

Fundraising

Design by GO! Creative • Photos taken by LAWG Staff

Board of DirectorsLatin America Working Group Education Fund

Bill Goodfellow, PresidentCenter for International Policy

Bernice Romero, Secretary/TreasurerOxfam International

Marie DennisMaryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Joy OlsonWashington Office on Latin America

Carolyn GallaherAmerican University

Antonio Martinez IIMartinez & Bass

Board of DirectorsLatin America Working Group

Marie Dennis, PresidentMaryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Steve Bennett, Secretary/TreasurerGlobal Fairness Initiative

George VickersOpen Society Institute

Margaret SwedishReligious Task Force on Central America & Mexico

Joe EldridgeChaplain, American University

Daryl Yoder-BontragerMennonite Central Committee

Catherine Stratton-Treadway

Latin America Working Group424 C Street NE, Washington, DC 20002Tel: 202.546.7010 Fax: 202.543.7647Email: lawg@lawg.org

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Action at Home for Just Policies Abroad